John Locke Quotes

Nothing can be found in the intellect if previously has not been found in the senses.

It is beyond a doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience.

But although all our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it arises from experience.

Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced.

Nature has given us the seeds of knowledge, not knowledge itself.

I have a theory in life that there is no learning. There is no learning curve. Everything is tabula rasa. Everybody has to discover things for themselves.

Every Man being conscious to himself, That he thinks, and that which his Mind is employ'd about whilst thinking, being the Ideas, that are there, 'tis past doubt, that Men have in their Minds several Ideas, such as are those expressed by the words, Whiteness, Hardness, Sweetness, Thinking, Motion, Man, Elephant, Army, Drunkenness, and others: It is in the first place then to be inquired, How he comes by them? I know it is a received Doctrine, That Men have native Ideas, and original Characters stamped upon their Minds, in their very first Being.

Learning, like love, death and eating, are fundamental human activities. It's at the core of human existence and its character has a resilience of continuity that is part of what makes up human nature. That is not fundamentally going to change.

All our knowledge begins with the senses...

The ancient saying, "There is nothing in the intellect which was not first in some way in the senses," and senses being explorers of the world, opens the way to knowledge.

I realized then that I didn't understand anything. I read all the books I could.

Content if hence th' unlearn'd their wants may view, The learn'd reflect on what before they knew.

The more I read, the more I acquire, the more certain I am that I know nothing.

Anything you don't understand is dangerous until you do understand it.

Knowledge, a rude unprofitable mass, the mere materials with which wisdom builds, till smoothed and squared and fitted to its place, does but encumber whom it seems to enrich. Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much; wisdom is humble that he knows no more.

It is clearly absurd to limit the term 'education' to a person's formal schooling.

Every step by which men add to their knowledge and skills is a step also by which they can control other men.

Education makes the wise slightly wiser, but it makes the fool vastly more dangerous.

You can only acquire really useful general ideas by first acquiring particular ideas . . . You cannot make bricks without straw.

Knowledge is a thing that one cannot have enough of. It is the fruit of wisdom, to be eaten carefully and digested fully, unlike that lunch you are bolting down, little friend.

As countries get rich they start increasing education and the very educated people tend to not like trial and error, because they think they're obligated to use the body of knowledge they have.

Education: the path from cocky ignorance to miserable uncertainty.

It's like the more you know the more you know you don't know.

I am still a learner, not a teacher, feeding somewhat omnivorously, browsing both stalk & leaves